The Grass is Always Greener
by PotterCriminallovers
Summary: The grass is always greener on the other side and for Draco the other side is standing two feet away from his fiance.
1. Chapter 1

Draco combed back his hair and let out a deep breath he had been holding, today was the day, his engagement day to Daphne Greengrass. As far as he knew she was a fellow Slytherin in his year and her family was apart of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He had probably met her years ago at some gala or charity function but he couldn't seem to put a face to a name.

Usually pure-bloods are married off as soon as they graduate Hogwarts. If lucky like his parents you marry your Hogwarts sweetheart and life is good. Others like his aunt Bellatrix are married off when they are of age and are forced to be together for the rest of their lives.

The only reason Draco hadn't married Daphne sooner was because of the war. Both Families had their names trashed in the media for their connections with Voldemort and Draco threw himself into his healer career ignoring the looks and whispers that swarmed him when he walked down the hospital corridor.

Pop! A house elf entered Draco's room holding a velvet box up to his master with shaky arms, "Mistress asked Jingle to bring this." The house elf tried his best to speak at a normal volume.

Draco placed him comb down on his dresser before turning to look at the gray elf with a purple tinge on his skin, "Thank yo Jingle. Have the Greengrass's arrived yet?"

"They are entering the house now Master." Jingle replied before popping out of the room to welcome the guests at the fire place.

Draco shoved the box into his suite pocket and headed down the stairs to meet his guests. His mind ran rapid trying its hardest to remember who the hell Daphne was! Was she a friend of Pansy's? Millicent? Did Blase date her? As he turned down the hallway to lounge Draco was suddenly stopped when he collided into something which turned out to be someone. He looked over at the person he had just run into and found her on the ground in a gorgeous floor length blue dress. Reaching his hand out the girl on the floor took it and pulled herself back up onto her feet that Draco noticed weren't wearing any shoes.

"Don't tell anyone," She whispered, "I don't want my parents to know I ditched the heels thirty seconds into our visit."

Draco stiffed his laughed, this girl was beautiful! The way her hair hung elegantly down her body and the way she held herself with such grace was mesmerizing. Looking closely Draco also noticed the lack of make-up she was wearing. Her beauty was natural and he loved it. "You must be Daphne, I'm Draco." He went to hold out his hand for a shake and realized she was still holding it.

The brunette shook his hand gently before dropping her smile. "I'm Astoria, your soon to be sister-in-law. Daphne is in the lounge probably chugging down her thirst glass of firewhiskey." Astoria pulled her hand away from Draco's, "I was just looking for the loo, do you mind-"

"Oh sorry!" Draco blushed as he side stepped out of the way, "Down the hall and its the first door on the right."

* * *

"Thank you."

Dinner was slightly more awkward than Draco had expected it to be. Porphyria and Hermes Greengrass spend little time talking to him and lots of time talking to his mother about wedding plans. Daphne had started to slur her words and began asking Draco every question that came to her mind, "What's your favorite color?"

"Green."

"How many pets have you had."

"None."

"How many girlfriends?"

"One, Pansy Parkinsons."

"Did you fuc-"

"Daphne!" Astoria snapped making everyone at the table turn to look at the brunette making her blush a deep red."

"Relax, Astra, I was going to ask him if he fancied quidditch!" The blonde shot back when she noticed her parents watching, "no need to be so uptight."

Their parents went back to their own conversation and Draco turned from Daphne to Astoria, "So what do you do for living?"

Astoria picked at her chicken before a sinister smile crept across her face, I just finished some extra studies in magical law and now I am working under Hermione Granger-" The room dropped to a silence and all eyes were on the youngest Greengrass.

Draco watched as his father's head turned to look at Hermes, "Lucius, Astoria is having a late rebellion." He explained, "We have her a secure spot on the Magical Law Defense team which will start next week. Her internship with that mudblood will only be three weeks long."

Out of the corner of his eye Draco noticed Daphne twirling a strand of her short blonde hair and was flashing her sister a manic look. "What about you Draco," Porphyria asked changing the subject away from her daughter, "What do you do?"

"I just finished my year long residency at St. Mungo's. And I recently got accepted by Gringotts to open my own private practice in Hogsmead."

"Wow!" Daphne spoke up, "I'm marrying a healer! That's amazing!"

Narcissa and Lucius looked proud at their soon to be daughter-in-law's praise of their son. "Astoria is going to marry an auror." Porphyria quipped drawing attention back to her children. "He's a nice fellow."

"Sure," Astoria sighed, "you just like him because his father was a Death Eater and after his wife died it became his entire life!"

"Shut it," Her father ordered.

"Who is he?" Draco asked ignoring the glares from the Greengrass's.

Astoria pushed her plate away, "Theodore Nott. And we aren't engaged we are casually dating. Not that I want to be." She mumbled at the end.

* * *

After dinner the two families sat together in the lounge enjoying coffee and pastries sharing stories of the olden days when life was good and they didn't have to worry about mudblood's roaming the streets or gaining any sort of power. Draco was becoming extremely bored of this conversation so he opted out and headed outside to his mothers rose garden.

"It's beautiful out here." Astoria spoke softly behind him in hopes to not scare him, "I love roses."

"It was my mother's wedding gift from my father. She likes to come out here when she is stressed, she spend hours here after the war." Draco turned to look the brunette in her deep chocolate eyes. He felt like getting lost in them forever.

Astoria blushed before pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Your father really loves her."

Draco nodded before taking her fragile hand and pulling her to the stone walkway, "they were a few of the lucky ones. They fell in love at Hogwarts and because they came from highly feared and respected families they were given permission to wed."

Astoria, still holding onto Draco's hand, skipped along the path only landing on the solid gray stones avoiding the whitening ones. "I hope you and Daphne are happy."

They made it to the center of the garden where a white bench sat surrounded by white and pink roses. Astoria, still shoe-less, wandered over dragging Draco behind her. They sat together still holding hands starring up the starry-night. "I wish I was marrying you." Draco confessed. "I know I just met you but it just feels right with you."

He felt her black silk glove slip up his face and cup his cheek to pull his face down to look at her's, "Daphne is older, she gets married first-"

"Theodore is older than me. Shouldn't she be marrying him?" Draco replied.

Astoria sighed still holding his face with her hand, "This is too important to my family to just give away. They want your parents approval so they need to give you their good daughter. The one that's not defective."

"Defective?"

* * *

The brunette laughed, "She can give you everything you need to continue the Malfoy legacy. I can't give you anything."


	2. Chapter 2

Draco walked up the stairs to his bedroom and ripped his tie off throwing it onto the floor. He tossed his jacket off onto his desk and run him hands through his hair letting out an angry sigh. He wanted to marry Astoria! Even if he didn't really love her he knew he could be happy with her forever.

After changing in to his pajamas's Draco slumped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling until his mother entered the room. "So, what do you think?" she asked him sitting on the bed with her son.

Draco turned to his side facing his mother, "she's okay I guess... What about Astoria? Can't I marry her instead?"

Narcissa frowned at her son before combing her hands gently through his hair, "you don't want to marry her. She's supporting Granger's muggle and werewolf laws, we don't need a woman like that representing the Malfoy name."

"But she's fun and smart, and beautiful!" Draco whined, "Daphne is so... so bland and rude."

The mother cupped her son's cheek moving his face to look at hers, "You two will figure out how to be happy. Its tradition-"

"You fell in love with dad. And you got to marry him so why can't I be with Astoria?"

* * *

Narcissa saw the regret gleaning in her son's eyes. She wanted him to be happy as all mothers do but she also new how important this marriage was to both families. "This is finale Draco, the wedding is one month away and your engagment party is next week so I suggest you give her the ring before then." Without another word she stood from the bed and left her son alone in his room.

The next few days had been torturous for Draco, he had spend hours with Daphne sending out press releases about their engagement. He had given her the family ring just minutes before their Witch Weekly photo shoot which was probably the most pain experience in his last forty eight hours.

"Okay, now one of just the bride." The old witch behind the camera ordered. Draco stepped away from the curtain and over to the food table were they were serving cauldron cakes. "I think her head is actually getting bigger." A voice behind him laughed.

Turning Draco came face to face with his beautiful brunette, " What are you doing here?" he asked pulling her into a surprising hug.

"As the maid of honor its my job to watch the bride at all times. I almost locked her in the supply closet when she asked me to fetch her a butterbeer." Astoria then took a sip of the drink in her hand making Draco laugh.

"You mean the one you are carrying?"

"Yep!" She doesn't need any sugar her dress barley fits as it is." She laughed looking at Draco confused look, "I may be tightening the waist line a little bit more everyday."

"You're cruel." He smirked.

Astoria chuckled, "she has been cruel for much longer than I have." She slipped her pinkie around his, "Let's go out back."

She dragged him out the back door towards the gathering of trees and sat him down on the browning grass still holding his smallest finger, "one month. Can you believe it?"

Draco look Astoria dead in the eye, "No."


End file.
